Information is often exchanged and entertainment content is often broadcast as packetized data over communication networks. Typically, an end user accesses information or entertainment content via a user terminal such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), an Internet-enabled mobile phone, or the like. The user terminals may be connected to the network via wireless radiofrequency (RF) connectivity or, with the exception of a mobile phone, via a cable connection. Further, the network typically includes routers and servers for routing the data packets from content providers or other network destinations to the end user through networks, such as the Internet.
Organizations and enterprises are becoming more and more dependent upon such networks for day-to-day operations. Further, a significant number of organizations, such as Connexion by Boeing™, are in the business of providing such networks for end users. Because of the importance of maintaining network operations to organizations and to end-users/customers, network management tools have been developed to monitor network operations and status.
Increasingly, communications networks may be provided as mobile communications networks. In a mobile communications network, a node may be a mobile platform such as an airplane, a maritime vessel, a land vehicle, or the like. By their nature, mobile platform nodes physically move within and among coverage areas of a mobile network. To that end, the mobile platform must be handed-off in RF connectivity from one ground station to another ground station when the mobile platform moves from the RF coverage area of one ground station to an RF coverage area of the other ground station.
Moreover, the Internet protocol (IP) public IP address of the mobile platform must be able to be accessed by Internet service providers throughout the world regardless of which ground station is providing RF connectivity with the mobile platform. As the mobile platform is handed-off from RF coverage of one ground station to RF coverage area of the other ground station, the public IP address for the mobile platform is removed from the first ground station and added to the second ground station. The public IP address for the mobile platform propagates to all Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
When the public IP address fully propagates to all the ISPs, the ISPs know that the mobile platform's IP address is at the other ground station. However, if the public IP address at the other ground station does not fully propagate throughout the Internet by the time the RF handoff is complete, IP packets routed by ISPs may not reach the mobile platform even though the mobile. platform has established RF connectivity in the RF coverage area of the other ground station. This may result in a service disruption—again, even though the mobile platform has established RF communication with the other ground station.
It would be desirable to monitor propagation of the mobile platform's public IP address through ISPs. However, there is an unmet need in the art for a tool for monitoring propagation of a mobile platform's public IP address as the mobile platform is handed-off from one ground station to another ground station.